Oliver Okpala
When the biblical Joseph found himself in the land of Egypt, through an uncanny ingenuity he saved that nation and other neighboring countries from an impending economic doom by applying the principles of sound economic practices that gave room for savings during the seven years of surplus as a preparation for the subsequent seven years of scarcity.
Perhaps this scriptural account sums up more fittingly, the feat of Governor Willie Obiano in the outgoing year, 2016. It was a year that saw Nigeria falling into deep economic recession, passing through one of the worst periods in its history. Oil prices plummeted to the lowest possible point and the naira has crashed with it. Allocations from the federation account nosedived and left huge gaps in the revenues of states.
The consequences have been severe and unpleasant. Many states now find it difficult to pay salaries and meet their obligations. But the story was different in Anambra State. Like Joseph, Obiano and his team had foreseen the impending storm and made adequate preparations for the rainy day. As if he knew what was to come, his first move as a financial expert was to organise a strategic retreat for the state executive council members to prepare them for the task ahead immediately he assumed office. This was as far back as March 2014 when Obiano mounted the saddle of leadership in Anambra State. It was at that retreat that council brain-stormed on the economy and detected the impending fall in oil price. This prepared the administration for the tough times that took place in 2016. The result is that while other states were grappling with this reality, Anambra was not only increasing salaries but also busy embarking on developmental projects.
2016 also saw the Obiano administration focusing on the four pillars of development, namely, agriculture, industrialisation, trade and commerce and oil and gas. These four pillars were firmly supported by what he called the 12 enablers without which every effort to develop the pillars would have been in vain. These included fundamentals such as security, education, healthcare, power generation, the environment, finance, social and civil infrastructure, housing and urban development, hospitality and tourism, transportation, water and sanitation as well as youth and sports. He therefore progressed with the overriding vision of making Anambra the first choice investment destination and most preferred location to site new industries.
Throughout the year, the Governor sustained his agenda of transforming the state and it is no surprise that he has given the people a new lease of life. The year witnessed consistent investments through the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) justifying the governor’s background as an investment banker with remarkable statistics. In this regard, despite all odds, the administration maintained its impressive record in internally generated revenue (IGR) of N1.3 billion per month from the N500m monthly that it inherited. And this was done without any increase in taxes. This was achieved through a timely deployment of cutting edge technology and a clinical weeding out of ghost workers from the state civil service.
These investments cut across agriculture, trade and commerce, manufacturing, hospitality, housing, electricity generation, waste management, health and oil and gas. With the quality of investments the government has attracted so far, the unemployment problem in the state was drastically reduced. Obiano also invested heavily in agriculture during the year, attracting $150m from Coscharis farms project in Anaku, $50m from Novtec Farms Ltd in Ndikelionwu, $160m from Joseph Agro Ltd Rice Project in Omor, $220m from Ekcel Farms Tomato Production Farm in Omasi and $50m from the Songhai/Delfarms Integrated Organic Farm project in Igbariam.
Rehabilitating bad roads and constructing new ones continued throughout the year. These included a bridge in Ayamalum to facilitate the movement of people, pedestrian bridges in Awka as well as construction the three arm zone structures, for members of the state Executive, Legislature, and the Judiciary.
Obiano also embarked on projects aimed at revamping the educational system, as well as equipping schools for optimal performance in academic activities. By these interventions he has opened up Anambra to the world and made the state attractive to investors.
The education and health sectors were also being given priority as schools and hospitals were either re-constructed or built. The government did not also fail in tackling environmental challenges as it mounted a serious campaign to retrieve cities from the menace of dirt and instill a culture of cleanliness in the people during the year. Brand new taxis and luxurious buses were procured. Some modern bus stops and bus terminals in strategic parts of the state were constructed. Public utilities were also being put in place such as the 47 solar-powered boreholes that will serve 27 communities in Aguata and Anambra East Local Government Areas respectively inaugurated during the year. The governor did not also relent on rural electrification; expanding 33kva supply lines and installing transformers in strategic locations across the state amongst other projects as well as installation of streetlights.
He also maintained the victory of Anambra State over kidnappers, armed robbers, drug-dealers and child-traffickers. The smashed crime syndicates remained subdued throughout the year under review.
For these, the governor won several awards and other national recognitions of excellence.
And as the year was winding up the governor also took the opportunity to say thank you to distinguished Anambra indigenes by organising a ceremony in their honour. The event afforded him the opportunity of thanking them for their unflinching support to his administration, which he said, was reflecting in all facets and sectors of Anambra State.
The honorees themselves, acknowledged just like other Anambrarians and Nigerians in general that Chief Willie Obiano is a man who has brought finesse and a heart of love to governance, thereby demystifying politics and proving that one can be a cerebral governor and yet be simple as well as approachable. His governance style also opened up a new era that demonstrates a robust and dynamic leadership. He has clearly and remarkably shown his ability to lead and a very deep understanding of governance. More of these leadership qualities are expected to characterise his administration in the New Year and beyond.
Prince Okpala is a political analyst
